Sunday, April 29, 2012

Over three days (well, actually the last two) six former MSU football players heard their name called at the NFL Draft — the most since seven in 2000. Three more have signed as undrafted free agents. (Here is MSU's all-time draft history).

First, a recap:

Jerel Worthy - Packers - 2nd round No. 51 overall

Kirk Cousins - Redskins - 4th round - No. 102 overall

Keshawn Martin - Texans - 4th round - No. 121 overall

Trenton Robinson - 49ers - 6th round - No. 180 overall

B.J. Cunningham - Dolphins - 6th round - No. 183 overall

Edwin Baker - Chargers - 7th round - No. 250 overall

Todd Anderson - Rams - UFA

Garrett Celek - 49ers - UFA

Brian Linthicum - Jets - UFA

Second, a look at the numbers:

As mentioned, the six Spartans selected are the most since 2000 (7)

The six Spartans tied for the most in the Big Ten with Iowa and Wisconsin

The six Spartans tied for fourth among all schools (behind Alabama, Oklahoma and Georgia)

MSU is one of eight schools to have a player selected every year since the inception of the common NFL Draft in 1967 (MSU, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and USC)

Over the last two years, MSU has had a player at every position group other than OL/TE drafted (counting OL and DL as one position group each). h/t KJ

That last stat is telling about the player development over Mark Dantonio's time at MSU. Also, Joel Foreman may have been drafted had he not retired from football due to injuries. As I wrote last week, MSU is one of the top teams in terms of NFL draft picks compared to recruiting class rankings. MSU should improve on that list with all the picks from this year.

Again, MSU isn't trying to beat Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame on the recruiting path every year, because it can't. Dantonio has molded his program after Wisconsin and Iowa, focusing on recruiting the right players and developing them. And whaddya know? Those three schools led the Big Ten in draft picks this year.

Five of the six Spartans drafted weren't highly recruited. Worthy, Cousins, Martin and Cunningham were given three stars by Rivals. Trenton Robinson was given two. Only Edwin Baker was highly recruited, given four stars.

Yes, Alabama dominated with the most players because it gets the best recruits and it wins the most. But 14 of the 32 first-round picks were given three stars or fewer out of high school. You can win games without the best players. I don't want to turn this into another recruiting argument. I've made this point before, and now I'm relating it to the NFL Draft.

Now, let's turn to the players.

Jerel Worthy had a rough birthday on Thursday, watching the first round come and go without his name being called. On Friday, he tweeted that somebody had to pay and that it was adding motivation. He didn't have to wait too long on Friday, being picked by the Packers in the second round. The Packers use a 3-4 defense, so Worthy actually would fit better as a defensive end. The Milwaukee Journal says Worthy could be used in nickel situations, which is ironic, because Worthy was often taken out at defensive tackle in passing situations at MSU. Regardless, I don't question Worthy's work ethic as much as his stamina. He'll get a chance to start for Green Bay.

Kirk Cousins' selection by the Redskins was the most-talked about pick on the final day. Having already traded the kitchen sink to move up and draft Baylor's Robert Griffin III, selecting another quarterback was quite shocking. It was the first time since 1989 a team drafted two quarterbacks in the first four rounds. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan coached the South team in the Senior Bowl, where Cousins impressed on the North team.

Cousins would have seemed a prefect fit behind a veteran, learning for a few years before possibly getting a shot to start. Now, Cousins will likely compete with Rex Grossman for the backup spot behind Griffin, who will get every chance to succeed in Washington. It's definitely an uphill climb for Cousins. ESPN's Chris Mortensen compared the situation to Atlanta a few years ago, when the Falcons drafted Matt Schaub in the third round despite having the young, athletic Michael Vick. The idea being that Griffin will take a lot of hits, so Cousins would be a solid and groomed backup should Griffin ever go down.

I think Cousins is the newest Avenger.

While ESPN tried to stir up a quarterback controversy, I don't see it. Mel Kiper said the selection of Cousins puts pressure on Griffin to succeed right away. I respectfully disagree. Griffin will be given every opportunity possible. He likely will go through some growing pains, but the Redskins will stick with him. While Cousins' personality is sure to draw a lot of fans and praise, Griffin was actually more beloved for his personality. He'll have plenty of support. All in all, a tough situation for Cousins, but I expect he'll work hard and study hard as a backup and draw the attention of other teams and could get a shot somewhere else, similar to what Brian Hoyer is doing in New England.

As for the other picks, Keshawn Martin can be a Percy Harvin-like player, used to stretch the field in all directions and could get early playing time in the return game. Trenton Robinson drew a lot of praise during the draft process for his effort. He could play cornerback or safety, and he isn't afraid to get his nose dirty, despite his smaller size. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at Robinson's draft day.

B.J. Cunningham in the sixth round seemed like a steal to me. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a solid NFL career as a slot receiver. He doesn't have elite speed to stretch the field vertically, but his hands are superb and he has good strength.

When Edwin Baker declared early for the draft, it was a surprise, and it wasn't. He had lost his starting spot to Le'Veon Bell, so how much higher could his stock go? I didn't think he had a chance of getting drafted, but I was wrong. I know he was drafted a few picks away from Mr. Irrelevant, but he still was drafted. Charles Robinson thinks Baker could have helped his stock by staying in school because he would have gotten more carries in an offense that will likely run the ball a lot more, but I guess that's up for debate.

Todd Anderson, Garrett Celek and Brian Linthicum were all signed as undrafted free agents. Linthicum was a guy who could have been drafted and likely had a lot of teams looking to sign him. He has a good chance to last in the league because of his versatility. Anderson is a beast in the weight room, so he'll have a chance as a fullback.

There is one notable Spartan missing: Keith Nichol. The quarterback-turned-receiver was getting looks at other positions from scouts, but doesn't appear to have signed anywhere. My guess is that he still will have some workouts with teams for another chance.

It was one of the most-successful drafts in MSU history, and it won't be the last time MSU has a big weekend. MSU continues to bring in talent — some hyped, some not — and develop it. Johnny Adams (three stars) will be one of the top defensive back prospects next year. If Will Gholston (five stars) has the year some are expecting, he could leave MSU early and be a first-round pick. Isaiah Lewis and Max Bullough appear on the road to the NFL whenever they leave. MSU has plenty of other guys that could develop into that position down the road.

This weekend was another step forward in the advancement of Dantonio's program. He stabilized the program on the field, and now his players are reaping the rewards.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

At one point in Saturday's Spring Game, I wondered if MSU would end in a 0-0 tie like Pitt did a few weeks back. MSU's defense (even split into two teams) is so good, and redshirt freshman quarterback Connor Cook looked completely helpless. But the offenses found a little bit of a rhythm and the White ended with a 14-2 win.

The story of the day was William Gholston. The rising junior is expected to have a big year (which could be his last at MSU) and that was shown Saturday. Gholston consistently busted through the White team's offensive line, catching Andre Sims Jr. on a reverse on one play. He tackled Hill for a safety for the game's first score. He had a pass breakup and even tackled Sparty on a play.

Note how Gholston is as big as Sparty. That's a big man. Gholston was later overhead on Mark Dantonio's mic asking if he'd get in trouble for doing that, although the players obviously didn't try too hard.

One of the plays Gholston didn't make, however, resulted in a 32-yard touchdown run by Nick Hill at the end of the third quarter. Gholston stayed down on the field after the play. He walked off under his own power, but did not return. BTN's Lisa Byington said Gholston suffered a right knee bruise and that they MSU staff wasn't very concerned.

The most important thing in a Spring Game is staying healthy, and MSU had some guys get banged up. Larry Caper has just one carry before leaving the game. The Spartan Sports Network said Caper had a slight concussion. Le'Veon Bell had just four carries for six yards. Nick Hill got banged up at one point but did return. MSU was running out of running backs, so Jeremy Langford moved back to the backfield and had six carries. Defensive end-turned-tight end Denzel Drone left the game with a left leg injury and was on crutches later in the day.

As for the game, it went about as expected, with Cook struggling early before finding some success against both of MSU's stout defenses. Cook finished a combined 20-for-45 for 294 yards, one touchdown and one interception playing for both teams. He was under constant pressure and missed some easier throws, but he'll get better. He's been in the program for less than one year and likely won't start for a few more years. Dantonio said after the game that Cook "grew enormously."

The wide receivers struggled a bit, also as expected. The most-experienced guys, Bennie Fowler and Tony Lippett were expected to miss the game, although Fowler was out there a little bit. He's coming back from foot surgery. Early-enrollee Kyle Kerrick was noticeable out there. He had an early drop but ran some good routes and made a few plays, finishing with two catches for 23 yards. Sims Jr. had three catches for 22 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Dion Sims actually had the most catches, with four for 73 yards. The receivers have work to do, but that was expected.

The catch of the day actually came from Johnny Adams, who made a nice adjustment on a 45-yard grab. Perhaps the top cornerback in the Big Ten, Dantonio said MSU might give Adams a few chances on offense in the fall. A poor man's Charles Woodson? The number of chances Adams gets might depend on how much the young receivers improve.

The Green team had four of five offensive line starters, but rushed for -10 yards and gave up three sacks. That should be a little worrisome, but MSU's defensive line is going to overwhelm a lot of teams this season. Joel Heath got a lot of hype from the coaches, and he had a solid game. He'll be valuable in the rotation on the ends come fall. Hill played on both teams, finishing with 95 yards and the one touchdown on 19 carries.

Special teams was a bit of an issue. Mike Sadler punted well, but MSU had some problems with snaps and Dan Conroy missed both field goal attempts, including a short 27-yarder.

The forecast for the game showed temperatures in the 40s with a good chance of rain, but the rain held off and MSU estimated 21,000 fans showed up, which was decent given the forecast.

Now we have to wait four more months for some real college football (sadface). It was a pretty uneventful spring for MSU, other than Andrew Maxwell's knee injury. But coming off back-to-back 11-win seasons with one of the top defenses in the country, MSU is settling in as one of the top programs in the Big Ten and success is becoming the norm.
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Also, this was pretty cool. From the MSUAA YouTube page, Mark Dantonio talks with MSU's oldest living alumnus, who is 105 years old.

As I've written before, recruiting in
college football is extremely important, but it's not everything. In his time
as MSU, Mark Dantonio has shown the ability to develop players and max out
their potential. That's why it wasn't a surprise to see MSU asthe No. 17 team in the countryin
terms of the relationship between recruiting class ranking and NFL draftees,
according to College Football Matrix.

Theoretically, a team that brings in the most talent should send the most
players to the NFL, which was pretty much true. According to the site, "of the top 25 (schools) of producing
NFL draft picks from 2005-2011, all but 4 were in the top 25 for
recruiting."

So if you scored a 0, you were right on track. But what about the
overachievers and underachievers?

According to the site, MSU had 17 players drafted from 2005-11, which
ranks 36th in the country. That is compared to a composite recruiting ranking
of No. 45 from 2002-08. While only two of Dantonio's recruiting classes are
included in this data, he has been the coach for four of the outgoing classes. MSU has had seven players drafted under Dantonio and will add a few more
in this year's draft. Former coach John L. Smith had 10 players drafted in his three years that were in this data.

MSU's difference of +9 is third in the Big Ten. It shouldn't be a
surprise to anyone that Wisconsin (fifth in the nation) and Iowa (seventh) were
atop the Big Ten. Those are two programs that have become synonymous with
success on the field without highly-rated recruiting classes. Dantonio has said
that he hastried to model his program after those two schools.
MSU isn't going to be a school that brings in top-five classes and wins on
talent, like Michigan and Ohio State. MSU's focus has been on bringing in
players that fit the program and can be developed. Team and individual successes have followed.

Dantonio developed some of Smith's players. Now with a program full of his own players, MSU is starting to send more players into the NFL. Dantonio was rated by College Football Matrix as the No. 6 coach in terms of doing more with less.

Here are the rankings for the Big Ten in the College Football
Matrix table:

1. Wisconsin +30

2. Iowa +27

3. MSU +9

4. Indiana +9

5. Nebraska +7

6. Ohio State +6

7. Purdue +4

8. Northwestern +2

9. Penn State 0

10. Minnesota -10

11. Michigan -12

12. Illinois -12

In a related story, 14 of the 32 first-round picks Thursday night were rated three stars or fewer by Rivals out of high school. Player development matters.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

First off, a note: The Random Photo of the Day will be moved to three days a week (M/W/F) because I'm running out of good things to find. Also, with not much going on in college sports right now, the blog is loading up solely on those photos, so I'm going to slow it down a bit.

Here is a cool 2011-12 highlight video covering most MSU sports. It was made by @Pietrang5 (on Twitter), who has made a lot of good MSU videos on YouTube, if you want to check out his channel.

"During the warm weather months, the band-shell is the scene of many gatherings, the most well-known of these being the weekly band concerts given by the Michigan State College band in the latter part of the spring term."

Monday, April 23, 2012

I'll admit it. When I first saw that Arkansas had hired former MSU head coach John L. Smith in an interim role, my initial reaction was "WHAT THE??"

But after the initial face-slapping jokes came out, the hire started to make more sense.

When Bobby Petrino was fired, I tweeted that I wouldn't be surprised if Smith would have gotten the job if he hadn't taken the Weber State head coaching job a few months ago. While the character of Smith has been questioned with another off exit from a school, the hiring by Arkansas makes sense for both parties.

Familiarity is very important when it comes to coaching. Mark Dantonio has credited some of MSU's recent success to a lack of attrition among the coaches. Smith has been the special teams coach in Fayetteville for the last three seasons and has a relationship with most everyone there. This isn't like MSU going with Bobby Williams because the players liked him. Smith is going to be there for one season. Even if Arkansas does well, I'd be really shocked if Smith was given a long-term deal, although I've been shocked before.

Arkansas is going to be a national championship contender this season. Hiring a guy from the outside would have changed everything (and there aren't any great hires available right now, anyway). Arkansas could have promoted one of its current coaches, but none of them has the head-coaching experience of Smith. And by the way, Smith had been quite successful everywhere he had been before the train wreck in East Lansing.

This isn't a long-term fix. Smith is 63. Weber State presumably was going to be his last stop before retirement. Both sides know this, as Smith only signed a 10-month deal. His job isn't to take Arkansas to the next level. It's to keep this ship going in the right direction. All the pieces are in place for a special season, all Smith has to do it not run it to an iceberg. (That analogy would have been better a week ago).

If things go well, Smith could guide the Hogs to a BCS bowl, Arkansas can bring in a big-name coach and the program will move forward. For Smith, I don't think he expected anything big to come his way again. As bad as it looks leaving his alma mater at this time, he sees one last opportunity to coach at the highest level — an opportunity that no one saw coming a few weeks ago.

So while the John L. Smith era at MSU is unearthed one more embarrassing time, Arkansas goes into a hyped-up season knowing that things won't be greatly different than they would have been before Petrino's firing. This isn't a step forward, but it's not a step backward. And with so much on the line and already in place for this fall, that's all Arkansas needed.

"Richard R. Morsches, co-drum major of MSU marching band, stands uniform inspection by Spartan 'Coach of the year' Duffy Daugherty. Both football squad & band will be in Pasadena Jan. 2 for the 1956 Rose Bowl game. Morsches, senior from Columbia City, Indiana, will be making his last appearance in front of the 125-piece Spartan band."

Friday, April 20, 2012

Michigan State College playing Michigan at dedication of College Field in 1924 (not to be confused with Old College Field, where baseball, softball and soccer now play). The stadium opened in the fall of 1923, but the official dedication was the following year, where MSC almost upset U-M, but fell 7-0. It was renamed Macklin Field in 1935 and Spartan Stadium in 1957.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Under partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, the Michigan State football team held its second jersey scrimmage of spring practice Thursday afternoon in Spartan Stadium. Utilizing a modified scoring system, the offense defeated the defense, 62-59, in a “situational” scrimmage.

In the first scrimmage held on Saturday, the defense came away with a convincing 72-32 victory.

The biggest difference for the offense in the second scrimmage was the running game. Senior Larry Caper led the way with 106 yards on 21 carries (5.0 avg.), including a 22-yard touchdown and another rush for 31 yards, the longest of the day. Sophomore Nick Hill carried the ball 12 times for 51 yards, while junior Le’Veon Bell had 48 yards on 13 attempts. Hill (15 yards) and Bell (2 yards) also had touchdown runs. The three running backs combined for 205 yards on 46 carries (4.5 avg.) and three TDs.

The Big Ten announces Thursday that St. Paul, Minn. and Detroit will rotate as hosts for the first four conference men's ice hockey tournaments.

The 2014 and 2016 tournaments will be at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and the 2015 and 2017 tournaments will be at Joe Louis Arena.

The locations make sense, as Minnesota and Michigan are two of the top college hockey states and hockey in general. Michigan has "Hockeytown," while Minnesota declared itself as the "State of Hockey." With Penn State adding ice hockey as a Division I sport in 2013-14, the sport had enough sponsors to become part of the Big Ten. MSU, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State are set to leave their current conferences and join the Big Ten, which has created tectonic shifts in the college hockey landscape.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

According to the MSU Football Twitter feed, quarterback Andrew Maxwell suffered a sprained knee in the first spring scrimmage and will be sidelined for at least a week. MSU said Maxwell is questionable for the Spring Game on April 28.

That leaves redshirt freshman Connor Cook as the No. 1 quarterback with fifth-year senior Peter Badovinac and redshirt freshman Tommy Vento has the backups. Spartan Tailgate's Dan Kilbridge said Dantonio told reporters the injury occurred while Maxwell was leaving the pocket and "sort of fell backwards."

For Maxwell, this appears to only be a minor setback. While getting more reps with the young receivers is important, it doesn't seem to be a major injury. For Cook, it will be an big opportunity to develop chemistry with the young receivers, whom Cook could be throwing to as the starter in two seasons. The coaches have liked what Cook has shown in practice over the last year. Incoming freshman Tyler O'Connor likely will be the No. 3 quarterback when he comes to MSU this summer.

Looking at the big picture, this will be a chance for MSU to develop a reliable backup. In five seasons, Dantonio has only had to deal with a serious injury to his starter in 2009, when he had two No. 1 quarterbacks in Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol. (I define "serious" as not being able to start the next game). Sometimes you forget the backup quarterback is only one play away from taking over the reins of the offense.

Injuries happen in the spring. This one just gets more attention because it's the quarterback.

While the Spring Game might not be as exciting without the starting quarterback, the next two weeks will be a good opportunity for Cook to take a step forward in his development, which will help MSU should anything happen to Maxwell again.

A 1923 illustration of the MAC campus. This view is looking south from the Michigan Ave./Grand River Ave. intersection. You can see how North Campus is the only developed part. You can see Macklin Field (Spartan Stadium) alone on the south side of the Red Cedar River.

I love when Gruden does these things. As ESPN starts to drift more toward the drama of football and less about the Xs and Os, I love getting a detailed look at what coaches and players talk about and look for. I know Gruden enjoys his role as a commentator, but still think he'll get back into coaching. Maybe his work with college quarterbacks with his annual camp could push him to being a college coach.

From 1913: "Fans at a M.A.C. vs. University of Michigan football game. On the front: "M.A.C. --- 12" "U. of M. --- 7." On the back: "Property: MSC Historian" "The stands at Ferry Field going wild with first victory of M.A.C. over Michigan."

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Given the amount of talent returning on each side of the ball, it shouldn't be a surprise that the MSU defense won the first scrimmage of spring practice 72-32.

MSU ran 104 plays in a situational scrimmage. The defense had 10 sacks and three interceptions. Will Gholston and Joel Heath each had two sacks, including a safety for Heath. Johnny Adams had two interceptions, including one for a touchdown.

On offense, Andrew Maxwell went 6-for-11 for 57 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Le'Veon Bell had 12 rushes for 49 yards. In the quotes (below), Mark Dantonio wasn't surprised at how well the defense played, but didn't like the amount of turnovers on offense. While 10 sacks seems like a lot, there were 104 plays, so those numbers are bound to be high when you factor in each string. I wouldn't look too much into that.

MSU will get back to practice on Tuesday. The Spring Game is scheduled for April 28.

It's hard to have a wrong opinion on what Tom Izzo should have done with Derrick Nix following his drug arrest (later reduced to impaired driving).

Drew Sharp said that Nix should be kicked off the team. Joe Rexrode said that Izzo made the right call by reinstating Nix to the program with TBD punishments. While Sharp's opinion is valid, I agree with Rexrode. I'm a guy who believes in giving guys chances to redeem themselves, especially college kids.

But the only person whose opinion matters is Izzo. It's quite clear that he knows what is best for his program. This isn't a case of a guy letting his kids away with everything. Some guys have been able to move past troubles and flourish (Mateen Cleaves), while others didn't take advantage of their second-chances (Chris Allen, Korie Lucious).

As for the car, it was a completely legitimate question, especially given Nix's background. As frustrated as Izzo was by the issue, it is the duty journalists to look into that. As it turned out, there was nothing wrong. But there's a difference between journalists doing their jobs by looking into it and message board fans accusing Izzo's program of cheating. It was looked into, cleared up and that's the end of it.

Anyone who has been around Nix knows he's a great kid, a gentle giant who is not afraid to speak his mind and is full of jokes. During the 2010-11 season, I wrote a story about the relationship between him and Garrick Sherman. I called Nix's mom for the story. She was busy and told me to call back and another time, but never again answered my calls. After the story ran, Nix apologized to me for his mom not getting back to me. He also wanted to know how he could get the story (The State News is free in newsstands all around campus).

I'll never be surprised when a college kid gets in trouble with marijuana. Like Sharp, I've never smoked pot, but I'm not going to berate people who do. I know it's almost as common as alcohol in most places. Both have the potential to ruin lives, but that often comes down to the individual person. When Pat Robertson says it should be legal like alcohol, that should give you an idea of things.

But that doesn't change that Nix broke the law. He will get in trouble. When the War Drill is part of practice, I don't want to know what punishment from Izzo is. Nix will be worked. He will learn his lesson. He had been on the right track after getting in batter shape and having a solid junior season. This is a step back, but it could result in multiple steps forward.

Nix's first two seasons on the court were basically wasted because he couldn't get his weight in order. But that's what college is for. It's about growing, changing, improving. Nix has the skills the play professional basketball some day, it has always been about getting serious about priorities. I do believe Nix was serious with the tears streaming down his face at Thursday's press conference as he apologized to everyone, especially Izzo's son.

I agree with Izzo's view on role models. No one is perfect. The best role models are the ones who learn from their mistakes. I believe that is what will happen from Nix. Unless Izzo forbids it, I still expect Nix to be named a captain next season, and I also expect Nix to finally live up his potential on the court. Some people just need a wake-up call. This could finally be it for Nix.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Q. What was your opinion of Kirk Cousins going into the interview, and where do you project him to go?

JON GRUDEN: We got to know Cousins well in the Outback Bowl. Mike Tirico and I did the Outback Bowl, and we spent a lot of time with Michigan State and with Cousins specifically. We got to see him practice. We had him down here at the FFCA headquarters twice. What you’re getting is a three‑time team captain at Michigan State, so that tells you what type of leader he is. He does have, I think, NFL prototype size. He’s in a very good offense at Michigan State. They ask him to do a lot of different things. He’s under the center, he’s in the shotgun, there’s a two‑back attack, there’s a no‑back attack. And quietly Michigan State has become one of the premier football programs in college football. They’re the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last three years.

Harris, whose parents both went to Purdue, was heavily recruited by the home-state teams as well as Kentucky. But Harris signed with MSU, upsetting a lot of people in the Hoosier state. The shooting guard is a consensus five-star recruit and was listed as the No. 11 prospect in the country by ESPN. MSU's 2012 recruiting class is ranked No. 7 by ESPN.

Friday, April 6, 2012

The 1884 Michigan Agricultural College football squad. Although football didn't become a varsity sport at MAC until 1896, MAC and Albion played the first intercollegiate football game in Michigan in 1884. Football became a club sport at MAC the following year. (Side note: Look how big that football is)

Two weeks ago, Torey Krug was preparing for his first NCAA Tournament appearance with the MSU hockey team. Last night, he made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins, recording two shots in 18:18 of ice time.

Krug signed with the Bruins on March 25, choosing to forgo his senior season for a professional opportunity. He spent the last week and a half practicing with the Bruins and got the call that he'd be in the lineup last night. The Bruins lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3.

"You can see him in the defensive zone trying to think about how to play in our system," said (head coach Claude) Julien. “And sometimes, maybe there was a fraction of a second delay, which is totally normal. But once he had to do it, he went."

His teammates were impressed, too.

"He made some good strong plays at the puck and he took his shots at the net when he had them," (forward Milan) Lucic said. “I definitely see a lot of potential in his game."

According to that Globe story, Krug now gets the NHL money from the first year of his three-year, $2.75-million deal he signed. Per CapGeek, that would be $900,000. I'm not a salary cap-ologist, so I'm not 100 percent sure about that, but it sounds like Krug will make nearly $1 million for playing in at least one game for the Bruins. Because he was signed after the trade deadline and was not on the reserve list, he is not eligible to play in the postseason.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins have two regular season games remaining and are locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

From Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal, Derrick Nix was arrested Monday night for operating a vehicle in the presence of drugs and marijuana possession. Other news outlets have reported the same.

From Rexrode:

"Operating with the presence of drugs is a 93-day misdemeanor, and marijuana possession is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a year in jail. Nix is out on bond and has 10 days to appear in court for an arraignment.."

MSU has released this statement from Tom Izzo:

“Based on the information we have received, Derrick Nix has been suspended indefinitely from our basketball team, and his future with our program is uncertain. He made an irresponsible decision that has put his future with our program in serious jeopardy.”

Delvon Roe recently tweeted: "On a serious note sucks to hear what is going on with Nix really is a great dude. Hopes he gets back on track. Great potential"

A little more than a week after the 2011-12 season has ended, and a senior-to-be who could be a captain next season was in jail and his future with the program is uncertain. There weren't any documented issues on or off the court this past season, but the 2012 offseason is certainly off to a rocky start.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Once Kentucky reached the Final Four and Davis started to win every national player of the year award, I didn't think Draymond Green had a chance. But if there was an organization that was going to honor Green, it was going to the coaches.

Sunday night, the National Association of Basketball Coaches named Green the nation's top player and Tom Izzo the nation's top coach. Green becomes the third Spartan to win a national player of the year award, joining Scott Skiles (1986, Basketball Times) and Shawn Respert (1995, NABC, Sporting News).

Earlier this season, I made the case that the national player of the year race had three candidates, not two. Most places seemed to think it finished as a one-man race as Davis won every national award and was nearing a clean sweep. But the coaches went with the coach on the floor; the guy who did everything.

For Izzo, this is the fifth season he has won national coach of the year honors.

About Me

Chris Vannini is a freelance sports reporter who has covered MSU for four years at The State News, The Oakland Press and MLive.com and covered the Detroit Tigers last year for MLB.com. You can contact him at chrisvannini@gmail.com.